U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,927 describes an adjustable motor vehicle steering column including a length-adjustable mast jacket and a position control apparatus for capturing the position of the mast jacket. The position control apparatus includes a clamp which frictionally couples the mast jacket to body of the motor vehicle when a control lever of the apparatus is pivoted to a locked position. The position control apparatus further includes a toothed ratchet block on the mast jacket and a toothed pawl connected to the control lever for pivotal movement as unit therewith and for limited pivotal movement relative thereto. When the control lever is pivoted to its locked position, the pawl meshes with the ratchet block and cooperates therewith in defining a meshed toothed couple which reinforces the friction couple. Peak-to-peak engagement between the pawl and the ratchet block, however, inhibits the pawl from meshing with the ratchet block and may compromise the performance of the position control apparatus during an impact on the steering hand wheel. A position control apparatus according to this invention is a novel alternative to the position control apparatus described in the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,927.